Laminated strip for sporting goods and method of making the same



Oct. 15, 1935.: J. A. HILLERICH 2,017,060

vLAMINA'I'ED STRIP FOR SPORTING GOODS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Nov. 25, 1932 TOMA emma I W rackets 'view illustrating the mama Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED s r-Ares PATENT OFFICE- The invention rela strips or billets for use in sporting goods bats, bowling pins,

and frames to a method of making the One of the is to provide a laminated strip or above described purposes light weight and from a tendency union between the Another object of mums-ran s'r AND METHOD RIP FOB SPORTING GOODS OF MAKING THE John A. Hillerich. Louisville, Ky.

Application November 25, 1932, Serial No. 644,347

1 Claim- (Cl. 144-309) such as golf club therefor and the same.

objects of the present which is of several lamina.

tes' to laminated wooden the manufacture of shafts, baseball hockey sticks, javelins, tennis like, and

invention billet for the relatively which is very strong and free to split along the planes of the invention is to provide a method of producing an article, of the characterdescribed, which comprises arranging a plu-' rality of strips of wood in superposed relation with interpose form thickness a heat and pressure ture, whereby incorporated throughout its a union between the.wooden strips intimate as to d sheets the glue in of dry glue film of unind subjecting the assembly to alone in the absence of mois"-' film is softened and is the wood fiber uniformly length and breadth so as to effect which is so be scarcely noticeable to the eye warp. as well edingly strong and as other advantages which may be incident'to the use of the improvements, the inventi procedure and hereinafter set derstanding that the sever constituting the tions and arran the nature and scope In order to in the parts and forth and claimed,

of the invention on consists in the combinations with the un al necessary elements same may be varied in propor-' gement without departing from make the invention more clearly practical effect, without limiting the .ments, in their useful applications,

ticular constructions w explanation, have been in tration.

e shown in the accompanyfor carrying the same into improveto the parhich, for the purpose of ade the subject of illusiew of a portion of iece of laminated or veneer wood, constructed in accordance with the invention,

one end of laminations and interposed sheets of a diagrammatic vertical sectional two strips cut application of said slab being shown illustrate the several 'glue film.

method of firmly uniting of the sections extend as that shown in Figure 1. In

unite the laminations and interposed sheets of dry glue film.

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the method of securing four laminated. sections together by heat and pressurejlone toprovide a 5 composite billet in which the laminations of each transversely or at right angles to the laminations of the adjacent secons.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the'laminated 1 billet constructed as. shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a laminated shaft produced from the billet shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 illustrates the manner of bending one 15 or more of the laminated strips to form a tennis racket frame.

Referring to the ity of relatively thin sheets of wood I in superposed relation with interposed sheets of dry glue 20 film 2 to form 'a composite sheet or slab 3 such practicing the invention I employ sheets of dry glue film which known and obtainable and consists of thin sheets of dry glue of uniform thick 25 ness which is rendered adhesive when subjected to heat. The composite slab 3 is sawed alon the dotted lines 4 indicated in Figure 1 so as to provide a plurality-of laminated strips or sections 5 of any desired width and which are fur- 30 that utilized in carryin out my invention.

A pair of sections or strips 5, cut from the slab 3, are placed within an elongated recess 9 of proper depth in a lower heated die member In, preferably with the laminations l of one strip 85 extending at right angles to the laminations of the superposed strip and with one or more sheets of glue mm H interposed between the strips, as shown in Figure 2. The strips are subjected to pressure exerted by an upper heated die mem- 40 her l2 during which the glue film II is rendered soft and adhesive by unites with the fibrous structure of the wood. As soon as the glue becomes set the two strips are removed from the die It as a unitary structure and two pairs of such strips are placed within a recess I! of proper size in a third lower heated die member M in superposed relation with one or more strips of glue film i5 interposed therebetwee'n (Fig. 3). The strips of wood 50 are then again subjected to heat and pressure by means of an upper heated die member l6 so as to soften the glue film and compress the several sections firmly together so as to form a composite billet H such as is shown drawing, I arrange a plurala l the heat and molecularly firmly united in in Figure 4. I The billet I! may be dressed sequently bent into elliptical form to provide'a' frame for a tennis racket or the like, (Fig. 6) or the billet may be placed in a lathe and turned to provide a cylindrical shaft i8 of the desired diameter and configuration, such as that shown in Figure 5, for use as a baseball bat, shaft of a golf club or the like;

A supporting goods shaft manufactured as,

above described is exceedingly strong and highly resistant to. strains imposed from any direction, and the union between the several laminations is so uniform as to be scarcely noticeable to the eye.

. By employing a dry prepared in tissue-like sheets having a'uniform thickness, the adhesive is distributed in uniform quantities over the entire surface area throughout the length and breadthof the wooden strips or laminations and not irregularly with lumps and dry spots as is invariably the case when a liquid glue is spread upon the surfaces of the wood. When heat and pressure is subsequently applied the dry glue becomes soft and impregnates the fibrous texture of the wood thus effecting a very intimate union between the laminations.

It will be noted further than the described laminated billet is constructed by heat and pressure alone and with a total absence of moisture which is a distinct advantage in sporting goods shafts since there is no warping tendency which might otherwise result in building up such a laminated structure.

A golf or sporting goods shaft constructed in accordance with my invention is possessed of the desired uniform stiffness on all sides and regardless of the angle at which the strain is imposed. The ordinary shaft'has stillness on two sides only.

'The dry glue filmzemploye'd is absolutely impervious to hot or cold water which adds to the durability and life of the shaft inuse and insures against separation of the lamina of theshaft.

As shown in Figure 6. one or more of the laminated strips or sections 5 may be bent around a glue which is previously to each other. In other 2,017,000 and finished to be subheated or other form I as shown in dotted lines in said figure, and pressed tightly thereagainst, preferably with the application of heat, to ob tain a tennis racket frame or like article of desired curved configuration. After being shaped in this manner the strip may be removed from the form and it has been found that no cracking .or separation whatsoever of the lamina: takes place as a' result of the bending operation.

The invention also-contemplates the use of a single laminated strip or section with the veneers thereof secured togetherin the manner described, for use in a golf shaft or the like, or if a plurality of sections are used the respective laminations thereof may extend at any desired angle relative words the success andutility of the invention is not dependent upon or limited to the use of four laminated strip-like secof adjacent sections extending at right anglesto each other. as has been illustrated.

What I claim is: 1

The method of making sporting goods shafts designed for absorbing shocks imparted thereto in a radial directionwith respect to the axis of 25 the shaft, which method comprises assembling a plurality of sections of laminated wood in contiguous-relation in the dry state with the laminations of one strip extending at right angles to those of an adjacent strip, interposing integral self-supporting sheets composed entirely of dry 30 lue film of uniform thickness between contiguous sections, subjecting the assembled sections to soften said glue films, applying pressure to said assembly to cause the entire softened glue sheets 35 to become completely incorporated in and uni-' formly absorbed by the fibrous textures of the wood and to press the adjacent laminated sections of wood into intimate contact with one another to form a composite billet, and turning the composite billet thus obtained to the desired diameter and configuration, whereby the completed shaft is resistant to shocks and strains imparted from any direction radial to the axis of the shaft.

- JOHN A. HILLERICH. 

